Mrs Shinra
by Defenestrator
Summary: A look at Rufus Shinra through some very different eyes.


"No, Ralph! Put that down!" Andrea chided as she hurried over to the giggling toddler. Plucking a black planner monogrammed with the name 'Rufus Shinra' in the top right corner, she placed it back on the coffee table. Turning back to the toddler, she picked him up with a smile.   
  
"You know that daddy doesn't like it when you play with his stuff," she said with mock sternness, carrying the wriggling child over to the window. Looking out in the direction of Midgar, she hugged Ralph close to her.  
  
"Daddy will be home soon, Ralphy. He just has to kill a very bad monster first, and get rid of that big red thing in the sky. Otherwise, lots of people are going to die," she explained as she stroked his carrot-red hair. Just like his father, she thought wistfully. Ralph tugged at her sleeve, interrupting her daydream, and asked, "Mummy, is he a hero?"  
  
Andrea laughed delightedly, a new vision of her husband filling her mind, before answering, "Of course he is, honey. He's saving a lot of lives."

* * *

Rocking Ralph in her arms, Andrea let her thoughts drift back to Rufus. He'd been away for so long this time, after Junon was attacked by what he said was called the Diamond Weapon. She wished she wasn't halfway across the world from Midgar, where he was now preparing to face this threat. All she could think about was Rufus, facing the siege head-on and vulnerable at the top of the tower. His whispered words to her the night after he'd taken control of Shinra Inc. flitted through her head, refusing to leave.  
  
"I'll take this company to new heights, Andy. For you and for Ralph. My dad was too soft – he didn't take advantage of all the opportunities he had, and wasted so much money on the people. But I will do this right. And when Ralph is old enough, I'm going to teach him everything I know so he will be a worth successor. We'll be able to go travelling for the rest of our lives, and it will be just you and me, together, forever."  
  
Andrea gently stroked the sleeping boy on her lap, running her eyes over the features of the person who would become President of the largest company in the world one day. He had his father's hair, but the features of his face resembled hers.  
  
"Who knows, Ralph," she whispered in his ear. "You may even be the President of the world one day if your daddy's plans work out."  
  
He stirred briefly, rolling over in her arms, and promptly went back to sleep. Andrea rose, carrying him into his room and tucking him into the airship-decorated bed. Kissing his forehead, she turned off the light, and walked back into the empty living room.

* * *

Andreas's sense of loneliness overwhelmed her as she surveyed the quiet apartment. She'd thought those days were over when she'd first met Rufus. Her father was an important manager at Shinra, and a nice man, if not perpetually distracted. Her mother had little time for her, more concerned about her social life than attending to the needs of her young girl. This mean that much of her childhood had been spent alone, finding ways to amuse herself under the watchful eye of her grandmother. Her life changed rather drastically the day circumstances dictated that she follow her father to work. There, flipping through a book, she first saw Rufus through the glass of her father's office. Rufus was following a man around, who she later discovered was his father, President Shinra. She caught Rufus' glance as he went past, and the one thought that filled her mind was, He looks as lonely as I feel. He must have had the same idea, because he came back later searching for her, and for the first time in her life, she was sure she had a real friend. Soon, her trips to work increased in frequency, until she was going almost every second day.

* * *

Together, they would talk of small things, of dreams and ambitions, and of their hero, a rising young SOLDIER called Sephiroth. Their discussions were animated, usually ending in an argument. But, because they had no one else, they would always make up, with an agreement to disagree. Other days, they would explore Shinra HQ and lurk around the soldiers' barracks in the hope of seeing Sephiroth. Unfortunately, they were never successful. It was a free, easy childhood, and everyone at HQ would always smile at them when they ran past, laughing about one thing or another, and simply enjoying each others' company.

* * *

It was just another ordinary day, when Andrea turned up at Shinra HQ to find Rufus missing. Apparently, President Shinra was taking the day off as well. Asking around, she could get no straight answer from any of the employees who milled around in small groups, talking in whispers. She grew increasingly distraught as the day passed and there was no information about Rufus, eventually deciding to find him herself. It was at their secret place, an out-of-the-way laboratory, that she found him huddled in a corner, crying. Sitting beside him, she reached out for him, but before she could say anything, he spoke up.  
  
"My mum died today, Andy," he sobbed. "You know how? Those stupid rebel groups, they bombed a reactor, and she was in it. She was doing an inspection, and... boom. I hate them, I hate them all. If my dad ruled with fear, made everyone scared of him, this wouldn't have happened. He uses money to get what he wants, but it's not enough. And it's a big waste. Mum died, and all the money in the world won't bring her back."  
  
Not knowing what to say, Andrea simply sat beside him, as hour upon hour passed by.

* * *

Rufus never spoke of that incident again, immersing himself in learning the workings of the company. Their days of fun and laughter were over, but he still made time for her. He was colder, and harder, now, but never to her. The day of their wedding was the day he was appointed Vice-President, and even though the latter overshadowed the former, it was him snuggling up to her at the end of the day. Even when he was posted to some town halfway across the world, she didn't mind, and followed him happily. She missed him with desperate fervency whenever he was away on business, but having Ralph helped the time to pass more quickly. He was always back with a large smile on his face for Ralph, and quite a bit more for her. Even if everything had gone horribly wrong, like when the murderous outlaws had escaped from their death sentence in Junon. She suspected he vented his anger somewhere, but preferred not to know the details. So, she kept quiet. He was, after all, her Rufus.

* * *

As Andrea settled back in the couch and reached for the remote, the phone rang, it's shrill cry breaking the stillness in the air.  
  
"Damn it," Andrea grumbled. "Just my luck."  
  
Hefting herself off her comfortable nice in the chair, she grabbed the phone off the hook, speaking abruptly to the caller on the other end.  
  
"Andrea here. Who is it?"  
  
"Mrs.Shinra?" said the clinical voice. "I have some bad news for you. Your husband, Rufus, is presumed dead after a direct attack from a creature known as a 'Weapon'. Your son is now the official president of Shinra, a position which the board will take care of until he is of age. I'm sorry for your loss."  
  
With that, the voice was cut off with a click, the ensuing beeps echoing in Andrea's ears. Ralph, President? He had no father to teach him, to show him the ropes, or even to watch him grow up. And she, she was alone once more, save for the anchoring presence of Ralph. Her last link to Rufus, who would never come back, who would never warm her bed at night again. Sitting down, Andrea wept for Rufus, the only tears that would be shed on that long, long night of celebration. 


End file.
